Cost and benefit--a critical issue for hospital infection control. Fifth Annual National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Lecture.

New patterns of health care financing have made it essential for infection control practitioners to become familiar with information on cost of nosocomial infection and cost effectiveness ("benefit") of the procedures and devices used to control hospital infection. Even the lowest estimates of cost show the considerable economic impact of nosocomial infection. Studies to date separate control procedures and practices into categories of proven efficacy, likely efficacy, lack of efficacy, and those for which cost of implementation is likely to outweight any benefit that might result. Many procedures and practices have not yet been studied. To survive in a hospital world of limited finances, ICPs will have to make sure that they employ only procedures for which benefit outweighs cost of implementation.